Good News, Bad News, Again!

After the bone marrow biopsy and MRI, the first preliminary report on the bone marrow biopsy was clear of leukemia. Then the MRI report came back that the lesion in the brain was gone. Both great news....but the final report of the bone marrow biopsy showed the actual bone marrow stained slides with time showed cluster groups of cells that indicate leukemia is trying to make a comeback. So, with clearance of insurance, Andrea will be starting her second bone marrow transplant from Kristin's T cells the first week in March. There have been some newly approved FDA drugs in this process since the last transplant. Andrea's doctor is very positive this is her cure and so are we. Still, this is a very difficult process for Andrea to endure of 30 days in the hospital plus 100 days after release from the hospital of tests, fluids and drugs.
Thank you for your prayers in relying on another miracle from God.

Second successful chemo/spinal tap

Thursday morning Andrea had a bone marrow biopsy with sedation, so we cooked at her house Valentine's night to avoid busy restaurants. (How romantic, dinner with the parents!) Anyway....Friday morning the spinal tap with methotrexate chemotherapy went well. No headaches so far, only mild nausea. But that can be usually be handled with more frequent smaller meals. This coming Thursday, Andrea will have another MRI of the brain to see what the lesion is doing. (shrinking, of course, but how much???) Y0ur prayers for a quick recovery is so much appreciated.

Chemo This Week

Since the last posting, Andrea has been gaining weight and trying to regain energy. Her morning starts with a headache, which usually goes away with Advil or Excedrin. When the weather cooperates, which it has been lately, she will take Zeus out for his walk around the small park across the street from their house. She has scheduled an appointment with her gym trainer on Wednesday to get an idea on how to regain muscle and not just weight. She also kindly told me she did not want anymore cinnamon buns or kolaches for breakfast! (Oh well, it was fun while it lasted). Thursday she will have a bone marrow biopsy. Then Friday, it is time for the 2nd dose of methotrexate chemotherapy. The Pain Management doctors are adminstering it again but without the blood patch this time. They said blood patches can cause scarring and also increases more risk of bacterial meningitis. So, we'll see if this spinal tap will be tolerable without the blood patch.
Thank you for your contined prayers. Especially on difficult days, there is comfort in knowing that there are prayers for strength and healing.

Good Spinal Tap News

There are still no signs of leukemia in Andrea's spinal fluid. She is feeling a little better each day but is still having occasional headaches, muscle and joint pain. She is feeling well enough to go out to restaurants again but takes her pillow is sit on! I'm still cooking for her to gain weight and strength.

So Far, So Good

Many prayers were answered this past week because of minimal headaches, nausea or shooting pains. However, today is the real test of how Andrea will feel without the steroid pills that she has to stop after 6 days of treatment. She's encouraged by good reports of Mona-Vie nutrition drink from her new Aunt Sheila (Betty's sister). Andrea has been battling fatigue which is way past what most of us know as 'dead tired'. Hopefully, the Mona-Vie will help with energy and/or immunity.
We appreciate your prayers so much.

Better Spinal Tap

As far as spinal taps go, this is the best one that Andrea has had to endure. The Pain Management doctors are anethesiologists who are well versed in the spinal column. They were so good, gentle and communicative with Andrea. The chemo methotrexate has not produced the excruiating pain like the Ara-C did.
We do believe that all your prayers were answered on this round of treatment. We appreciate all your efforts.

Better, But Not There Yet

As soon as Andrea feels "better", there is a set back of either a stomach ache or headache. She is up to 112 lbs., which is better than 110!!
Plans are for the spinal tap of methotrexate on Friday. She usually stays flat on her back for 5-7 days after a spinal tap, but Pain Management will be involved in this one and hopefully with a pediatric needle and blood patch, she will experience less pain. Prayers are a real blessing at this point.

New Plans

The stem cell doctor said he would be taking over Andrea's treatment totally since she does not have the Ommaya Reservoir in her head anymore. This is good news since we do trust him and his physician's assistant to help and follow up with Andrea like they did before. They will try a new chemo next week in the spinal cord. Spinal taps are horrible, but there will be a different approach this time. Andrea is feeling well enough now to eat, so I will be offering any and all foods she can tolerate to pack on some pounds.
Just please pray that all comes together to obliterate that tiny lesion in her brain!

Grasping for good news

Andrea went to the endocrinologist today and she had gained 1.9 pounds this past week. I was really happy because it was a lot of work for her to eat that much and keep it down. (She lost 25 pounds during the meningitis calamity, so she still needs 23 more pounds.) There are a few people who would like to just hand her a few of their pounds!
The bone density test she took on Monday was much better than the one a year ago. Even though she feels really weak and fragile right now, the gym conditioning and prescribed vitamins/minerals she took this past year has really paid off in her bones.
She is off to another doctor tomorrow, so we'll let you know what he prescribes.
Andrea feels blessed to have so many people still praying for her.

Slightly Better

The headaches and nausea are starting to subside, which is good; but either one pops up unexpectedly at any time. Thursday the doctor took Andrea off of some medicine that is very hard on her and said he would let her recuperate a week before recommending more chemo.
Thank you for your encouraging messages and prayers.

Home Again!

Today the doctor walked in and said the tests were not back yet, but to plan to go home Wednesday. Andrea looked at him with tears in her eyes and said all her medicines could be taken at home and Pain Management doctors have given her the relief from the spinal tap that she needed. After asking her to move her head and neck about and doing a quick visual assessment, he got the ball rolling and Andrea is at their home tonight with J.!
She still has a lot of healing to accomplish, so thank you for your prayers.

Awaiting Tests

As long as Andrea is laying down, her pain is zero. But the moment she raises her head, the pain instantly goes to the top of the scale - ten. That's what a spinal tap (also called a lumbar puncture) does. It takes a few days for the spinal cord to repair the assault. She has not had as fever ever since she got steriods from the Brain and Spine doctor on Friday. Since Friday the Brain and Spine doctors have been MIA. The immediate first look at the spinal fluid from Friday was that there was no obvious meningitis or bacteria but it really takes a few days for the tests results to show anything. I think she will be pushing her main Stem Cell doctor to let her go home tomorrow, but we will see how the night goes. The MRI report said that the AML lesion shrunk from 13 mm to 5 mm. They may have to change the type of chemo since she's had an extreme adverse reaction to this one.
Thank you for your prayers. They really encourage Andrea and we are hoping for best outcome.

Back in Hospital

Thursday when Andrea went to her primary doctor she had fever, chills, headache and a stiff neck, so he wouldn't let her go home and admitted her into the hospital. He called the neuro onclogy unit and talked to Andrea for a long time. He said he believed the Ara-C chemo was having abnormal reactions and needed to rule out the reoccurance of meningitis. She will have a spinal tap today. We know how spinal taps affect Andrea, and they will try to do it better this time around.
Please keep her in your prayers.

Moving around

Now that the spinal tap symptons are starting to fade, Andrea noticed a pain coming from a pinched sciatic nerve feeling every time she stands up, walks, or sits down. Once she gets situated, the pain dulls and she can relax. Next question for the doctor, "did he hit a nerve when he deadened the area for the spinal tap?" We see the primary doctor tomorrow, so we have lots of concerns to address. It just seems like one issue leads to another concern or problem right now. We are grateful she can get out of bed now.
Please keep the prayers coming, Andrea is still fighting.

Day by day

A spinal tap gives horrible headaches and immobilizes a person for days, but the chemo on top of that is almost unbearable. Andrea has fevers, chills, and even them both together. She was able to hold her head up today without having excruciating pain from her head and spine, so there is improvement. She still needs your prayers desperately to get through this.
We find hope and encouragement in knowing that you are praying.

Expected

The feeling from having chemo injected into the spine was expected and on target - extreme pain and fatigue. Andrea is fighting through it even though it is very difficult. We are trying to look at the big picture 4 1/2 months down the road with the last injection, but it is hard. We are more inclined to just get through day by day.
She really needs your prayers, and we thank you for all your kind encouragement.

Lots of doctors

Monday's tests showed that Andrea's adrenaline gland is still working which means the EXTREME fatigue is from side effects of radiation. Thank goodness the radiation has not ruined the glands, but she is still struggling to keep down food, have an appetite or energy.
The neuro oncologist wants to proceed with chemo in the spine tomorrow (Wed). He added two medicines to try to help Andera's energy, but the first one she took gave her a headache. Lots of help, huh?
Please keep her in your prayers as we are trying to find a balancing act with all her medicines, and attempting chemo one more time which has side effects that include headache, stiff neck and back. If this chemo is successful, she will have it administered once every 2 weeks 3 times, then once a month 3 times. Probably a total of 4 1/2 months of chemo, if this plan is followed.

Another Dr. Visit

All week Andrea's energy has been zapped and today the Dr. gave her special meds to take over the weekend, then they will run tests on Monday to verify his suspisions of the radiation effects. Hopefully it is temporary and the meds/tests will give her a better path forward.
Good news is that her chest x-ray came back Good, so no more pneumonia! She still takes 3 very strong antibiotics that are hard on her stomach, plus a spreadsheet of other medication. All in all she is keeping down the small amount of food she can eat.
Day by day, prayer by prayer - We thank God and you for them all.

Help Me Lord!

Andrea is frustrated that she is not bouncing back as quickly as she had hoped. Each hospital stay and recuperation has been very different. I forgot to mention that the night before Andrea was discharged, that they gave a her a new antibiotic which she had never had before and she had an immediate severe allergic reaction to. Bone pain started in her lower back and went down her legs along with severe shaking and high fever. They counteracted it with Benadryl and pain meds, but it was like taking the last wind out of her sails. She came home, but her energy level has been so low that she is praying for strength and a positive attitude.
Please raise her up in your prayers for strength and healing.

Lots happening

Kristin, Andrea's sister, came to MDA and they said they needed "4 million" on Thursday. Friday morning they told us that Kristin actually gave 4.6 million of the stem cell components that Andrea may need. It is an awesome concept and week-long experience that Kristin can tell you all about should you ever want to save someone's life. Kristin is Andrea's hero as well as her big sister, so that makes it real special for them.

Since discharge on Tuesday, Andrea has made her way back up to MDA for check-ups and to her retina specialist today. It takes all the strength she can muster to get out and about, but she does. Her eye specialist said that her optic nerves and retinas had not changed and that most likely the blurry vision comes from the dry corneas, so she has some drops to use for that.

It was good to have Kristin here for the week and she and Jimbo are back safely in Tyler tonight.

Many prayers have been answered.